“IRIS” set to air during prime time in Japan

Korean blockbuster drama “IRIS” is set to air during prime time on Japanese television, according to the show’s producer Taewon Entertainment on Monday.

Taewon said Japanese broadcaster TBS announced the Korean TV series will run Wednesday evenings at 9 p.m., a slot usually assigned to domestic TV dramas.

Artist View, the show’s marketing promoter in the country, explained that such programming is proof that Japanese people are looking forward to watching a Korean blockbuster action drama, not just Hallyu fans expecting to watch a Korean dramas and its cast.

“We expect the airing of ‘IRIS’ to appeal to the general mass in Japan and be the driving force in re-establishing the position of Korean dramas in the country,” an official at Artist View was quoted as saying.

“IRIS”, which originally aired in Korea from October 2009 thru December 2009, starred a handful of top Korean actors including Lee Byung-hun, Kim Tae-hee, Jung Joon-ho, Kim So-yeon and T.O.P. of idol group Big Bang. The action and romance-filled espionage drama was a smash hit, scoring a viewership rating of nearly 40 percent and dominated the small screen throughout its run.

“IRIS” is scheduled to air on Japan’s TBS satellite channel starting March 6 and on public networks starting mid-April.